Rolls-Royce has released an iPhone app that shows just how car makers can innovatively use the smartphone platform.

The Rolls-Royce Ghost App lets iPhone users paint a ‘virtual’ Ghost car with any of the offered body and trim colours they like. Creating a perfect visual representation of their very own Ghost.

Every single combination they create can be saved into a ‘garage’, for showing off to their mates. Clever or what?

Coming from the maker of what was once called ‘the best car in the world’, you’d expect it to be good. This journo has just downloaded it and can report, yes, it is extremely trick indeed.

It’s a smart way of showing just how many colour and trip options are available with modern cars, plus a taster of how they’ll look together. It’s got stickability – Rolls-Royce says there are ‘thousands’ of combinations to play with.

Also part of the App is a gallery of Ghost images, video and a function to search for the nearest Rolls-Royce car dealer. Alas, this doesn’t use Foursquare-style location functions, but takes you instead to the web browser. Never mind: it’s still good.

The App is so impressive (and free!), I’d expect other brands to quickly copy it and do something similar – particularly car makers who really focus on the individuality of their ranges.

Check out the Rolls-Royce Ghost App yourself, at the iTunes AppStore.

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